Method of impregnating electrical motor armatures



Oct. 23, 1951 F M, POOLE ET AL 2,572,515

METHOD OF IMPREGNATING ELECTRICAL MOTOR ARMATURES Filed June 20, 1946 s sheets-sheet 1 INVENToRs FOYM. POOLE JOHN J. F OYE JR.

Oct. 23, 1951 F M POOLE ET AL 2,572,515

METHOD OF IMREGNATING ELECTRICAL MOTOR ARMATURES Filed June 20, 1946 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 1| *lum I? l! 3 I\\ Vi" Q i U A Y Q l Q L* k"\"\..\.,v/l

llmlll lmlIIIIlIlIlllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll" il x N ,$3 o l n l .2 Y N lll-Imm l\ N INVENToRs romPooLE By JOHN J. my; JR.

Oct. 23, 1951 F M POOLE TAL 2,572,515

METHOD OF IMPREGNATING ELECTRICAL MOTOR ARMATURES Filed June 20, 1946 5 Sheets-Sheet b INVENTORS F OYMPOOLE JOHN J. FOYE JR.

ORNEY.

Patented Oct. 23, 1951 METHOD OF IMPREGNATING ELECTRICAL MOTOR ARMATURES Foy M. Poole, Stamford, and John J. Foye, Jr., Old Greenwich, Conn., assignors to Electrolux Corporation, Old Greenwich, Conn., a corporation of Delaware Application June 20, 1946, Serial No. 678,151

4 Claims.

1 This invention relates to manufacturing methods and apparatus and is particularly concerned .with such methods and apparatus involving the application of liquids to objects.

While the present inventive concept may be variously applied. in widely diifereing manufacturing operations, it is here disclosed in connection with the application of bonding and insulating lacquer to electric motor armatures, this being one application of the invention which has been commercially successful.

Previous methods and apparatus for the application of liquids have for the most part involved spraying and dipping operations which have been uneconomical with respect to the quantity of liquid used and have involved handling problems which were uneconomical, both with regard to the cost of apparatus employed and time and labor consumed.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a method which is novel, simple and economical, while insuring an effective and efficient application of the liquid to the workpiece involved. y

Another and equally important object of the invention is to provide a novel, simple and economical apparatus for carrying out the above method.

More specifically it is an object of the present invention to economically and eiciently apply a controlled quantity of insulating, bonding and sealing lacquer to electric motor armatures or' the like.

A corollary object is to provide an apparatus for effectively and efficiently applying the controlled quantity of lacquer to motor armatures or the like.

A further and more specific object of the invention is to provide a method of and apparatus for, treating manufactured parts, such as motor armatures by a continuous operation by means of which the parts are preheated, a controlled quantity of liquid is applied and they are subsequently baked and if desired, such operations are repeated without removal of the parts from their continuously moving carrier.

Numerous other objects and features of the present invention will be apparent from a consideration of the following specification and the accompanying drawings, in which;

2 Fig. 1 is a fragmentary view of the apparatu of the present invention by which the method of the present invention may be carried out;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on the lines of 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the armature carrying fixture shown in Figs. l and 2; and

Fig. 4 is a detailed sectional View taken on lines of 4-4 of Fig. 3.

In general terms, the method of the present invention provides for the steps of preheating the workpiece and flowing upon selected portions thereof a liquid, While the workpiece is rot-ated, and thereafter baking the workpiece, these operations being carried out during a continuous movement of the workpiece by conveyer mechamsm.

The apparatus of the present invention includes batteries of heating elements, preferably of the infrared type, together with conveying means which carries the workpiece past the heating elements while rotating the same, together with liquid tanks and discharge spouts therefor under which the workpiece is passed to apply the liquid thereto.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, banks of heating elements comprising infrared lamps I0 are positioned on either side of the path of travel of Xtures II which are supported from depending links I2 of a conveyer chain I3 which is mounted for travel within a protecting and guiding member I4. Parallel with the member I4 and positioned adjacent to path of travel of the workpieces, there is provided a track I5 with which the workpieces contact during the travel and by virtue of which contact they are caused to rotate in their fixtures.

For applying the liquid to the workpieces, there is provided a liquid tank I6 from which depend a pair of flow tubes I1, each of which is controlled by a valve I8. The discharge ends I9 of the conduits or tubes I1 are transversely spaced between the heating elements and are also preferably longitudinally spaced with respect to the path of travel of the workpiece, the arrangement being such that as workpieces are carried along by the fixture, they pass between the heating elements to preheat the workpieces. Thereafter they pass under the spaced iiow tubes whereby liquid is applied at spaced points on each Workpiece, while they are rotated by frictonal engagement with the track I5, thereby evenly distributing the liquid on the selected areas thereof. Thereafter the continued travel of the workpiece between the heating elements causes the liquid to be baked and thus hardened. If desired, plural liquid depositing stations may be arranged so that successive coatings may be applied and baked.

In that form of .the invention here specically illustrated, the Workpieces indicatedby the numeral 20 are electric motor armatures, each comprising a central shaft 2l having an iron core made up of slotted laminations 23 mounted on the shaft, Within the slots of which are vvii'ii'd coils'ZZi A commutator 24 is conventionally applied yat `one Kend of the shaft 2|. In completing themanu- ,Y

acturing steps of such armatures, itisrequirfed that the coils be impregnated .With a, lacquer Which insulates, seals and bonds the coils in position. Prior practices have involved thepreheating and immersion of the arr'natu're'sv 'in' the' lacquer and subsequent baking. Such practices not only involve complicated handling problems and wasteof lacquenbyfdrag outj? Ibut also require ,'subsequent' val o f theA 'Llac'queij from the "shaftjandcm torfas Well'jromthe exposed ,edges loi "theflaminations, ,With,"the present "processi the prehenng; ir'qid 'applying 'and baka r e y aceomplished a' 'continuous operation Wlthout ultiplehfandling" ofthe armatures and withmmmumiuseilof' the laqquertreating rangs, aand 4; there 'resented a,

2 lpreterrecl former fixture specifically designed for lthe"l'lsewitlfi rltor,arlnatiiijes.v Thelhk'li2 Of fflq lf thintherrtissageJ of' the armatures aredflanips,'therelisfjormed a hard ecurefin semntfpf lthe coilsffjBy g offiaejquer' "from the ad'ngoffthe economiealrfdsbsediint opera' to rein-ove removal oflt'he armatures. From ,this strictura' w itvvill be seen `that thev armatures are carried in oer cie" 1y ahdeirectively impregnate, bond and "searthe windingswhereby;"uporijbaamg 1er. theA A. irtue oline, p enofmen ine'iti'cirielf,'therequisite..j amount only; 'mayfbe Dplie'd and hence` there is lacquer from ,points beyond the coils are eliminated.

It will be understood that the present inVene tion is Widely applicable to manufacturing opera- 5 tions other than motor armatures and it will be further understood that the invention is not limited tothe specific steps of the specific apparatus here presented as illustrative. Numerous changes and modications of the method steps 10 and or the apparatusfmay be resorted to Without depaiturerfrom the'spiritfor scope of the present invention which is outlined in the Y lappended claims.

What We claim is: 1., The meth'odjfoi` coating and impregnating an electrical motor armature having wound coils portion s oi` which'are disposed in slots While the l v'nsfare exposed comprising the steps l of preh ingth'farmature, positioning the axis 20 ofthe armature `in a substantially horizontal "plane, rotating the heated armature about its "'aiis;`- transversely' moving the heated armature across the path of a pair of spaced'streams of coating liquid, directing said spaced streams of v he me od 'of 'coating and impregnating ispofsed in' slots While the Used" comprising the' 'steps a re, psitib'riingjtheaiis bstaritially horizontal 'ature abeut `its Y rotating `tl'ie"same"t set the coating on the Windtions to impregnate and f coat the ther; heating the' armature whilerothe coating en 'tlie windings. y 'and'impreg'nating an otorjar atxurehavling Wound ,'e'oils r'epdisposed in "sltswhilethe sed' comprising the steps of ure. While. ,liQ'atine'tHf'Sana rhiiatur'e'nfa substantially horizontal; plariefrotatingthe heated `a'rriaits a s', ransvrsely/mdving'fthe roaross'the-pathof 'r 5 6 portions of the coils of said armature, whereby UNITED STATES PATENTS the coating spreads in opposite directions to im- Number Name Date pregnate and coat the coils, and further heating 1,111 443 Dumon Sept 22 1914 the armature while rotating the same to set the 1 362215 Appelt Dec '14 1920 coating on the windings. 19281938 Johnson Oct, 3, 1933 FOY M- POOLE 2,116,316 Miles May 3, 1938 JOHN J- FOYE' JR 2,274,610 Goodwin Feb. 24, 1942 2,288,585 Partee June 30, 1942 REFERENCES CITED 2,364,966 Law Dec. 12,1944 The following references are of record in the 10 214111130 Alexander No1/ 19y 1946 le of this patenti 2,416,249 Belada Feb. 18, 1947 

